Charles a



RAIL GONNEGTION WITH SUPPLEMENTAL WIRE.

No. 450,193. Patented Apr. 14,"1891..

:P" kmi'j aw ibs) 9 1' m N H w W QR t a Q b q wi/lmmm 5444mm 55%6MG/bbomwlfl' UNITED STATES CHARLES A. ROBINSON, OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR CUTTER, OF SAME PLACE.

PATENT. OEEIcE.

TO GEORGE RAIL-CONNECTION WITH SUPPLEMENTAL WIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,193, dated April 14, I891. Application filed September 22,1890. Serial No. 365,847. (No model.)

ters of reference marked thereon.

Heretofore the sections of rails of an overhead electric railway have for the facilitating of the return-current been connected together at the joints by copper tie-Wires, or have been connected direct to a supplemental wire consisting of an unbroken conductor running from the extreme end of the line between the tracks back to the power-station or have had the tie-wires connected by a lateral wire to the supplemental wire. Each of these methods of providing for the returncircuit is better than the one preceding, and it is the object of my invention to still further improve the best or last-mentioned method, so that instead of it being necessary to build and construct it 011 the ground as the construction of the road progresses the appliances and parts necessary to said latter method may be kept in stock and like the rails be simply fastened in position, thus greatly expediting the 'work and lessening the cost of construction, substantially as hereinafter fully described,'and as illustrated in the drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of road-bed, showing my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is atransverse section through the rails, showing my improvements, and Figs. 3,4, and 5 are detailviews of modified forms of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, A representsthe rails, the ends of each section of which near the joint are connected by a straight copper rod or st-ifi wire B, the ends of which enter the posts I) b, which have short stems extending therefrom that are soldered or otherwise suitably secured to each rail-section A. About the center of length of this rod B, I secure a copper strap C, which extends transversely therefrom a suitable distance, and is connected at its opposite end to a supplemental return-circuit wire D to the powerstation. hen the road-bed is an old one, the joints of the rails of the track are generally made without reference to their being in transverse alignment; but when the roadbed is made especially for an overhead systern care is taken to get the joints of both rails in transverse register one with the other. When the former is used, strap C only extends far enough to be connected with the supplemental wire D; but when the latter is used the strap may extend clear across the track from one rod B, connecting the rails on one side to the opposite rod B,connectingthe rails on the other side. However, in this latter case the strap is given sufficient slack for a return-loop cl to be made around wire D, the ends of which are riveted or soldered to keep it around and in close contact with wire D. The other end of strap D can be electrically welded to rod B when the parts are united together before being used in constructing the road; but as this is rather awkward and unwieldy to handle I have adopted a construction which is at once simple and convenient and which requires the minimum of labor to unite it to the rod and supplemental wire. This construction consists of providing the end of the strap 0 with atongue E and with an eye e, located a distance back from said tongued end of the same equal to the circumference of the rod B. In practice the end of the strap would be drawn around rod B and the tongue E drawn through eye e tightly, so as to obtain a good contact between the strap and rod, and is then soldered. If desired, two transverse slits may be made between said eye and the end of the strap, and the tongue, after passing through eye 6, may be pushed through the first and out of the second and then folded back on its length and drawn through eye a in the opposite direction, as shown in Fig. 3. This construction would avoid the use of solder entirely.

Another construction is shown in Fig. 4, which consists simply of slitting the rod through the center and pushing the end of the strap through the slit and then riveting it with transverse'rivets.

IVhile I do not wish to be considered as conveying the idea that no solder is to be used to directly connect the strap to rod B, yet I consider it preferable not to do so, because of the fact that the lead solder is a poorer conductor than the copper, and should lightning strike the rails or strike in on the circuit at any point it would be apt to melt the connection.

WVhat I claim as new is- 1. The combination, in an electric-railway system, of the rails, a parallel copper rod connecting the sections of the same, asupplemental return-circuit wire running longitudinally between the rails, and a copper strap connecting said rod and supplemental wire.

2. The combination, in an electric-railway system, of the rails, a parallel copperrod havingits endsenterpostsconnccted,respectively,

to the adjacent ends of contiguous rails, a supplemental return-circuit wire, and a copper strap connecting said rod and supplemental wire, but having the contacts therewith made without solder intervening between the contact-surfaces, as set forth. 

